Translate old letters: from Gothic script to readable text

An old letter in Gothic script can feel like a locked door. You can hold it in your hand, but not read what it says. This article explains how to have old letters deciphered – and translated, if your family is spread across the world.

Why are old letters so hard to read?

It is rarely just the Gothic script that stands in the way. Usually it is several things at once, and that is precisely why even the patient reader quickly comes to a halt. When you understand what makes a letter difficult, it also becomes easier to understand why a thorough decipherment takes time – and why the result is worth all the effort.

The Gothic handwriting: The letters look markedly different from the ones we write today. A small »e« can resemble an »n«, and the long »s« is easily confused with an »f«.
The old spelling: Spelling followed different rules. Nouns were written with a capital initial letter, and words like »Kjøbenhavn« or »at faae« looked different than they do today. Read more in our guide to old Danish spelling.
The personal language and the dialect: People wrote the way they spoke. Local expressions, abbreviations and an entirely distinctive sentence structure make the text even more personal – but also harder to decipher.
The ravages of time: Faded ink, yellowed paper, folds and stains often erase individual words or entire lines.

Together this explains why it can be difficult to translate old letters line by line on your own. It requires knowledge both of the script and of the time in which the letter was written.

First decipher, then understand

Making an old letter readable happens in two steps. First the Gothic script is deciphered into letters we can read today. Then the text can be translated – for example from old Danish into modern Danish, or into an entirely different language. MormorsBreve does both in the same process.

The first step is about converting the written characters into letters – that is, to make the old letters readable letter by letter, without changing the content. The second step takes the deciphered text and makes it understandable: outdated words are modernised, and the sentences are given a form we can easily read today. Dividing up the work in this way means that you can always go back and see what actually stood in the original.

Three versions for different purposes

You receive the text in three editions: true to the original (good for genealogy), AI-supplemented (gaps filled in sensibly) and free interpretation (flowing modern Danish, good for reading aloud). So you decide for yourself how close to the original you want to be.

True to the original

Here the original spelling, choice of words and punctuation are preserved as far as is at all possible. This version is worth its weight in gold for genealogy, where precise names, place names and dates mean everything. If, for example, you need to check whether »Ane Kirstine« in the letter is the same as in the parish register, you will want the text exactly as it was written.

AI-supplemented

When the ink has faded, or a corner has been lost, this version fills in the gaps sensibly based on the context. A half-erased word in the middle of a sentence becomes a qualified and clearly marked suggestion, so that you can read on without coming to a halt – and at the same time see where guesses have been made.

Free interpretation

The free edition is written in flowing, modern Danish. It is ideal for reading aloud at a birthday, a silver wedding anniversary or a Christmas dinner, where the most important thing is that everyone can follow the story – the children too. When you want a letter in Gothic script translated into something that can be read aloud without stumbling, this is the version you reach for.

How to photograph the letter best

A good result begins with a good photo. You do not need a scanner or expensive equipment – an ordinary mobile phone is plenty, as long as you take a few simple things into account:

Good daylight: Place the letter by a window. Natural, even light shows the faint ink strokes far better than the ceiling lamp.
Avoid shadows and glare: Be careful that your own shadow or hand does not fall across the paper. Refrain from using the flash – it often produces a harsh glare that wipes out the text.
Include the whole page: Get the entire sheet into the picture, all the way out to the edges, so that no lines are cut off.
As sharp as possible: Hold the phone steady and tap the screen to focus before you take the picture. A razor-sharp photo makes all the difference.
Remember the back: If there is writing on the back or on several sheets, then photograph each side separately. Many letters continue where you least expect it.

The clearer the photo is, the more accurately the old letters become readable. You can see examples of what comes out of a good photo on the page with examples of deciphered letters.

Translation for family abroad

If there are relatives living abroad – for example descendants of Danish emigrants in America – the text can be translated into English or over 30 other languages, at no extra charge. Then the whole family can read along, no matter where they live.

This is often where a letter truly comes back to life. A great-grandfather's description of the crossing to America can suddenly be read by his descendants in Minnesota – in English, but with the same words and the same warmth. Language should no longer be a barrier between the generations.

A deciphered letter as a gift and heirloom

A letter that can finally be read quickly becomes more than just text. Many choose to print the deciphered text together with a photo of the original and give it away as a gift – for a milestone birthday, a wedding or a Christmas where several generations are gathered. It is a gift that costs very little, but means infinitely much.

Once you have made the old letters readable, the words can live on: in a little book for the family, as a speech at the celebration or as a story the grandchildren actually want to hear. And the digital text itself is never lost, whatever happens to the paper.

Take good care of the originals

Even though the text is now secured digitally, the original letters still deserve care. Store them flat, away from direct sunlight and moisture – a cupboard or a drawer is better than the attic or the cellar. Avoid tape, staples and lamination, which damage the paper over time. The original is the physical bond to your ancestors; the digital decipherment merely ensures that the content is safe should anything go wrong.

If you have a letter lying around that you have never been able to read, then give it a try. Upload a photo, and you will see the first pages for free at MormorsBreve. If the Gothic script is giving you trouble, you can also start with our guide to deciphering Gothic script – and soon the whole family can read along in what grandmother once wrote.